Guinea, officially
Republic of
Guinea ( , ), is a country in
West
Africa formerly known as
French
Guinea (
Guinée française). The country's current
population is estimated at 10,211,437 (
CIA 2008
estimate).
Guinea's size is almost .
Its territory has a crescent shape, with its
western border on the Atlantic Ocean
, curving inland to the east and south.
The
Atlantic coast borders Guinea to the west, along with Guinea-Bissau
. Senegal
forms its
inland northern border, along with Mali
, to the
north and north-east. Côte d'Ivoire
is to the south-east, Liberia
to the south
and Sierra
Leone
to the southwest. The
Niger River runs through the nation, providing
both water and irregular transportation.
Conakry
is the
capital, seat of the national government, and largest city.
The nation
is sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish
it from its neighbor Guinea-Bissau
. Guinea is home to twenty four ethnic
groups, the three largest and most dominant are the
Fula,
Mandinka
and
Susu.
History
The land composing present-day Guinea was part of a series of
empires, beginning with the
Ghana
Empire which came into being around A.D.900. This was followed
by the
Sosso kingdom in the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries.
The Mali Empire
took control of the region after the Battle of Kirina
in 1235, but grew weaker over time from internal
conflicts, which eventually led to its dissolution.
Europeans first came to the area during the era of
Portuguese discoveries
in the fifteenth century. The
European slave
trade began the next century.
One of the strongest successor states of the Mali Empire was the
Songhai Empire. It exceeded its
predecessors in terms of territory and wealth, but succumbed to
civil war. Eventually, it was toppled at
the
Battle of Tondibi in
1591.
An Islamic state was founded in the eighteenth century which
brought stability to the region. Simultaneously, the
Fulani Muslims arrived in the highland region of
Fouta Djallon.
France
colonised
Guinea in 1890 and appointed Noël
Balley as the first governor. The capital Conakry
was founded
on Tombo
Island
in the same year. In 1895 the country was
incorporated into
French West
Africa.
Independence

Monument to commemorate the 1970
military victory over the Mercenaries invasion.
On 28 September 1958, under the direction of President
Charles de Gaulle,
Metropolitan France held a referendum on
a new constitution and the creation of the
Fifth Republic.
The colonies, except
Algeria
, which was legally a direct part of France, were
given the choice between immediate independence or retaining their
colonial status. Guinea chose independence, the only colony
to do so. Thus, Guinea became the first
French African colony to gain
independence, on 2 October 1958, at the cost of the immediate
cessation of all French assistance.
After independence, Guinea was governed by President
Ahmed Sékou Touré. Touré pursued
broadly
socialist economic
policies and suppressed opposition and free expression. Under his
leadership, Guinea joined the
Non-Aligned Movement and pursued close
ties with the
Eastern Bloc.
A small army of Portuguese soldiers and Portuguese-armed Guineans
invaded
Guinea in 1970.They finally gained their independence from
France on October 2, 1958. After they received their independence
the men celebrated with breads and wines while the women were not
allowed to celebrate they had to stay home and if there were
children in the home they were to stay and care for them. The
reason for this was because the women back then were not allowed to
go into wars so the men thought of it as if you didn't fight for
the freedom you did not get to celebrate it. They also had what
they call
Demonyms for it was a greek name
that was carried into their time through all the years. Thier
Demonyms was Guinean.
Conté government
After Touré's death in 1984,
Lansana
Conté assumed power and immediately changed his predecessor's
economic policies, but the government remained dictatorial. The
first elections since independence were held in 1993, but the
results and those of subsequent elections were disputed. Conté
faced domestic criticism for the condition of the country's economy
and for his heavy-handed approach to political opposition.
While on a visit to France with his family in 2005, Prime Minister
François Lonseny Fall
resigned and sought asylum, citing corruption and increasing
interference from the President, which he felt limited his
effectiveness as the head of the government. Fall's successor,
Cellou Dalein Diallo, was
removed in April 2006, and Conté failed to appoint a new one until
the end of January 2007 after devastating nationwide strikes and
mass demonstrations. During 2006, there were two nationwide strikes
by government workers, during which 10 students were shot dead by
the military; strikes were suspended when Conté agreed to more
favorable wages for civil servants and a reduction of the cost of
the basic amenities, rice and oil.
At the beginning of 2007, citing the government's failure to honour
the terms of previous agreements, trade unions called new strikes,
protesting rising costs of living, government corruption, and
economic mismanagement. Lasting for more than two weeks, these
strikes drew some of the largest demonstrations seen during Conté's
tenure and resulted in some 60 deaths. Among the unions' demands
was that the aging and ailing President name a consensus prime
minister to fill the post vacant since Diallo's removal, and
relinquish to him certain presidential responsibilities. Conté
reluctantly agreed to appoint a new
prime
minister and lower fuel and rice prices, thus ending the
strikes.
On 13 February 2007, upon the nomination of
Eugène Camara, viewed as a close ally of
Conté, to the post of Prime Minister, violent demonstrations
immediately broke out throughout the country. Strikes resumed,
citing the President's failure to nominate a "consensus" prime
minister per the 27 January 2007 agreement.
Martial law was declared after violent clashes
with demonstrators, bringing the death toll since January to well
over 100, and there were widespread reports of pillaging and rapes
committed by men in military uniform. Government buildings and
property owned by government officials throughout the country were
looted and destroyed by angry mobs. Many feared Guinea to be on the
verge of civil war as protesters from all parts of Guinea called
for Conté's unequivocal resignation.
After
diplomatic intervention from the Economic
Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) and neighboring heads of state, Conté
agreed to choose a new prime minister from a list of five
candidates furnished by the labor unions and civic leaders.
On 26 February 2007,
Lansana
Kouyaté, former Guinean ambassador to the UN, was nominated to
the post. Strikes were called off, and the nomination was hailed by
the strikers.
Guinea and other neighbouring states of
West
Africa, have become major drug-trafficking hubs.
Guinea is a member of the
Organization
for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (
OHADA).
Military government
On 23 December 2008,
Aboubacar
Somparé, President of the
National Assembly, flanked by
Prime Minister Kouyaté, and Diarra Camara the head of the Army,
announced that Conté had died "after a long illness". Under the
Guinean constitution, Somparé was to assume the Presidency of the
Republic and a new presidential election was to have been held
within 60 days.
However, six hours after the announcement of Conté's death, Captain
Moussa Dadis Camara announced a
coup d'état
by a
junta, known as the
National Council
for Democracy and Development, saying that "the government and
the institutions of the Republic have been dissolved". Camara also
announced the suspension of the constitution "as well as political
and union activity".
Ahmed Tidiane Souaré was appointed prime minister in May 2008. He
replaced Lansana Kouyaté, a former UN diplomat who had been
appointed by President Conté fifteen months earlier under a deal to
end a general strike against the president's rule. Following his
appointment, Mr. Souaré said he planned to continue changes begun
by Mr. Kouyaté and "to restore authority to the state because we're
in a state of disarray." He is a member of former President Conté's
Party of Unity and Progress and previously served as minister of
mines and geology and as minister for higher education and
scientific research.
Camara's leadership initially after the coup was challenged by
Sekouba Konate, commander of a special forces unit within the
capital barracks. Lots were then drawn between Camara, Konate, and
a third officer (unknown at this time), with Camara winning after
two drawings.
The junta promised to hold a new presidential election at the end
of a two-year transitional period.
On September 28, 2009, Camara's troops went on a rampage at a
political protest rally at a stadium in Conakry, killing 157
people, wounding hundreds, and raping women in attendance.
Government and politics
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara is head of the military junta that
currently runs Guinea. Commander Sekouba Konate is the Vice
President.
The Prime
Minister, Kabine Komara, a veteran of Guinea's central bank and the
Ministry of Finance, was most recently a senior director at the
African Export-Import
Bank in Cairo
.
Ahmed Tidiane Souaré,
Prime Minister under the previous regime, swore loyalty to the
junta. Souaré was recently arrested, apparently as part of a drug
and corruption crackdown.
Theoretically, the politics of Guinea take place within the
framework of a presidential republic. The President of Guinea is
the
head of state, head of government,
and
commander-in-chief of the
Guinean military. The president serves a maximum of two 7-year
terms. To be elected president of Guinea, a candidate must be a
Guinean-born citizen by birth, be at least 35 years of age, and
must be able to speak and read the
French language.
Legislative power vests in the 114-member National Assembly
(Assemblée Nationale.) Members serve for a four-year term, 38
members in single-seat constituencies and 76 members by
proportional representation.
Guinea is a one-party-dominant state, the
Party of Unity and Progress .
Opposition parties are allowed but are widely considered to have no
chance of gaining power. (
Lansana
Conté, who was in power from 1984 to 2008, ran four times.)
Executive power is exercised by the president and cabinet
members.
Regions and prefectures

Regions of Guinea
The Republic Guinea covers of West Africa about
10 degrees north of the equator. Guinea
is divided into four natural regions with distinct human,
geographic, and climatic characteristics:
- Maritime Guinea (La Guinée Maritime) covers 18% of the
country
- Mid-Guinea (La Moyenne-Guinée) covers 20% of the
country
- Upper-Guinea (La Haute-Guinée) covers 38% of the
country
- Forested Guinea (Guinée Forestière) covers 23% of the
country, and is both forested and mountainous
Guinea is divided into seven
administrative regions and subdivided into
thirty-three
prefectures. The
national capital, Conakry, ranks as a special zone.
City populations
Populations of some of the larger cities, as estimated by
World
Gazeteer for 2008. The latest published census is from 1996.
- Conakry
(1,857,153)
- Nzérékoré
(224,791)
- Guéckédou
(221,715)
- Kankan
(197,108)
- Kindia
(181,126)
- Kissidougou
(119,909)
- Boké
(116,270)
- Fria
(110,586)
- Macenta
(88,376)
- Kamsar
(88,222)
- Faranah
(87,083)
- Mamou
(76,269)
- Lola (60,911)
- Labé
(58,649)
Geography

Map of Guinea
At ,
Guinea is roughly the size of the United Kingdom
and slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Oregon
.
There are of coastline and a total land border of .
Its neighbours are
Côte
d'Ivoire
(Ivory Coast), Guinea-Bissau
, Liberia
, Mali
, Senegal
and Sierra Leone
.
The country is divided into four main regions: the
Basse-Coté lowlands, populated
mainly by the Susu ethnic group; the cooler, mountainous
Fouta Djallon that run roughly north-south
through the middle of the country, populated by Peuls, the Sahelian
Haute-Guinea to the northeast, populated by
Malinké, and the forested jungle regions in the
southeast, with several ethnic groups. Guinea's mountains are the
source for the Niger, the Gambia, and Senegal Rivers, as well as
the numerous rivers flowing to the sea on the west side of the
range in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.
The
highest point in Guinea is Mont Nimba
at . Although the Guinean and Ivorian sides of
the Nimba Massif
are a UNESCO
Strict Nature Reserve, the portion of
the so-called Guinean Backbone
continues into Liberia
, where it
has been mined for decades; the damage is quite evident in the
Nzérékoré
Region
at .
Economy
Guinea has abundant natural resources including 25% or more of the
world's known
bauxite reserves. Guinea also
has diamonds, gold, and other metals. The country has great
potential for
hydroelectric
power. Bauxite and
alumina are currently
the only major exports. Other industries include processing plants
for
beer, juices, soft drinks and
tobacco. Agriculture employs 80% of the nation's
labour force. Under French rule, and at the beginning of
independence, Guinea was a major exporter of
bananas,
pineapples,
coffee,
peanuts, and
palm oil.
Mining
Richly endowed with minerals, Guinea possesses over 25 billion
tonnes (metric tons) of
bauxite – and perhaps up to one-half of the world's
reserves. In addition, Guinea's mineral wealth includes more than
4-billion tonnes of high-grade
iron ore,
significant
diamond and
gold deposits, and undetermined quantities of
uranium. Guinea has considerable potential for
growth in agricultural and fishing sectors. Soil, water, and
climatic conditions provide opportunities for large-scale irrigated
farming and agro industry. Possibilities for investment and
commercial activities exist in all these areas, but Guinea's poorly
developed infrastructure and rampant
corruption continue to present
obstacles to large-scale investment projects.
Joint venture bauxite mining and alumina operations in northwest
Guinea historically provide about 80% of Guinea's
foreign exchange. The
Compagnie des Bauxites de
Guinea (CBG) is the main player in the bauxite industry.
CBG is a joint venture, 49% owned by the Guinean Government and 51%
by an international consortium led by
Alcoa
and
Alcan. CBG exports about 14 million tonnes
of high-grade bauxite annually.
The Compagnie des Bauxites de
Kindia (CBK), a joint venture between the Government of Guinea
and Russki Alumina, produces some 2.5 million tonnes annually, nearly all of which is exported to
Russia
and
Eastern Europe. Dian Dian, a Guinean/Ukrainian
joint bauxite venture, has a projected production
rate of per year, but is not expected to begin operations for
several years. The
Alumina Compagnie de
Guinée (ACG), which took over the former
Friguia Consortium, produced about 2.4
million tonnes in 2004 as raw material for its alumina refinery.
The refinery exports about 750,000 tonnes of alumina. Both Global
Alumina and Alcoa-Alcan have signed conventions with the Government
of Guinea to build large alumina refineries with a combined
capacity of about 4 million tonnes per year.
Diamonds and gold also are mined and exported on a large scale.
AREDOR, a
joint diamond-mining venture between the Guinean Government (50%)
and an Australian, British, and Swiss
consortium, began production in 1984 and mined
diamonds that are 90% gem quality. Production stopped from
1993 until 1996, when
First
City Mining of Canada purchased the international portion of
the consortium. The bulk of diamonds are mined artisanally.
The
largest gold mining operation in Guinea is a joint venture between
the government and Ashanti Gold
Fields of Ghana
. SMD
also has a large gold mining facility in Lero near the Malian
border. Other concession agreements have been signed for iron ore,
but these projects await preliminary exploration and financing
results.
Problems and reforms
The Guinean Government adopted policies in the 1990s to return
commercial activity to the private sector, promote investment,
reduce the role of the state in the economy, and improve the
administrative and judicial framework. Guinea has the potential to
develop, if the government carries out its announced policy
reforms, and if the private sector responds appropriately. So far,
corruption and
favoritism, lack of
long-term political stability, and lack of a transparent budgeting
process continue to dampen foreign investor interest in major
projects in Guinea.
Reforms since 1985 include eliminating restrictions on agriculture
and foreign trade, liquidation of some
parastatals, the creation of a realistic
exchange rate, increased spending on
education, and cutting the government bureaucracy. In July 1996,
President
Lansana Conté appointed
a new government, which promised major economic reforms, including
financial and judicial reform, rationalization of public
expenditures, and improved government revenue collection.
Under
1996 and 1998 International Monetary Fund
(IMF)/World Bank
agreements, Guinea continued fiscal reforms and privatization, and
shifted governmental expenditures and internal reforms to the
education, health, infrastructure, banking, and justice
sectors.
The government revised the private investment code in 1998 to
stimulate economic activity in the spirit of free enterprise. The
code does not discriminate between foreigners and nationals and
allows for repatriation of profits. While the code restricts
development of Guinea's hydraulic resources to projects in which
Guineans have majority shareholdings and management control, it
does contain a clause permitting negotiations of more favorable
conditions for investors in specific agreements. Foreign
investments outside Conakry are entitled to more favorable terms. A
national investment commission has been formed to review all
investment proposals.
Guinea and the United States
have an investment guarantee agreement that offers
political risk insurance to American investors through the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC). In addition, Guinea has
inaugurated an arbitration court system, which allows for the quick
resolution of commercial disputes.
Cabinet changes in 1999, which increased corruption, economic
mismanagement, and excessive government spending, combined to slow
the momentum for economic reform. The informal sector continues to
be a major contributor to the economy.
Until June 2001, private operators managed the production,
distribution, and fee-collection operations of water and
electricity under performance-based contracts with the Government
of Guinea. However, the two utilities are plagued by inefficiency
and corruption. Foreign private investors in these operations
departed the country in frustration.
In 2002,
the IMF
suspended
Guinea's Poverty
Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) because the government
failed to meet key performance criteria. In reviews of the
PRGF, the World Bank noted that Guinea had met its spending goals
in targeted social priority sectors. However, spending in other
areas, primarily defense, contributed to a significant fiscal
deficit. The loss of IMF funds forced the government to finance its
debts through Central Bank advances. The pursuit of unsound
economic policies has resulted in imbalances that are proving hard
to correct.
Under then-Prime Minister Diallo, the government began a rigorous
reform agenda in December 2004 designed to return Guinea to a PRGF
with the IMF. Exchange rates have been allowed to float, price
controls on gasoline have been loosened, and government spending
has been reduced while tax collection has been improved. These
reforms have not reduced inflation, which hit 27% in 2004 and 30%
in 2005. Currency depreciation is also a concern. The Guinea franc
was trading at 2550 to the dollar in January 2005. It hit 5554 to
the dollar by October 2006.
Despite the opening in 2005 of a new road connecting Guinea and
Mali, most major roadways remain in poor repair, slowing the
delivery of goods to local markets. Electricity and water shortages
are frequent and sustained, and many businesses are forced to use
expensive power generators and fuel to stay open.
Even though there are many problems plaguing Guinea's economy, not
all foreign investors are reluctant to come to Guinea. Global
Alumina's proposed alumina refinery has a price tag above $2
billion. Alcoa and Alcan are proposing a slightly smaller refinery
worth about $1.5 billion.
Taken together, they represent the largest
private investment in sub-Saharan
Africa since the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline
. Also, Hyperdynamics Corporation, an
American oil company, signed an agreement in 2006 to develop
Guinea's offshore Senegal Basin oil deposits in a 31,000 square
mile concession; it is pursuing seismic exploration.
On 13 October 2009, Guinean Mines Minister Mahmoud Thiam announced
that the
Chinese
International Fund would invest more than $7bn (£4.5bn) in
infrastructure. In return, he said the firm would be a "strategic
partner" in all mining projects in the mineral-rich nation.
He said
the firm would help build ports, railway lines, power plants,
low-cost housing and even a new administrative centre in the
capital, Conakry
.
However, analysts say that the timing of the deal is likely to stir
controversy, as the legitimacy of Guinea's government is under
question.
Oil
Africa's west coast is now ripe for oil development, and Guinea is
actively being courted in this endeavor. Hyperdynamics Corporation
(Sugarland, TX) and Guinea signed a
Production sharing agreement in
2006, and have been diligently exploring. Many large oil companies
claim that this area, which Guinea centers, might be able to supply
the United States with nearly 30% of its oil within ten
years.
Transportation
The
railway which operated from Conakry to
Kankan
ceased
operating in the mid-1980s . Domestic air services are
intermittent. Most vehicles in Guinea are 20+ years old, and cabs
are any four-door vehicle which the owner has designated as being
for hire. Locals, nearly entirely without vehicles of their own,
rely upon these taxis (which charge per seat) and small buses to
take them around town and across the country. There is some river
traffic on the Niger and Milo rivers. Horses and donkeys pull
carts, primarily to transport construction materials.
Iron
mining at Simandou
in the southeast beginning in 2007 and at Kalia in the east is likely to result in the
construction of a new heavy-duty standard
gauge railway and deepwater
port.
Demography
The population of Guinea is estimated at 10,211,437. Conakry, the
capital and largest city, is the hub of Guinea's economy, commerce,
education, and culture.
Languages
The official language of Guinea is
French. Other significant languages spoken
are
Maninka,
Susu,
Pular
(Fulfulde or Fulani),
Kissi,
Kpelle, and
Loma.
Ethnicity
The population of Guinea comprises about 24 ethnic groups. The
Fulani, also known as the Fula, comprise
38% of the population. They are mostly found in the
Futa Jallon region. The
Mandinka, also known as Mandingo, comprise
26% of the population and are mostly found in eastern Guinea
concentrated around the
Kankan and
Kissidougou prefectures.
The
Soussou, comprising 12%, are predominantly
in western areas around the capital Conakry
, Forécariah
, and Kindia
.
Smaller ethnic groups make up the remaining 24% of the population,
including
Kpelle (5%),
Kissi (5%) and others (14%). Non-Africans total about
10,000 (mostly Lebanese, French, and other Europeans).
Religion
Islam is the dominant religion. Approximately
85% Muslim. 10% is
Christian, and 5%
holds traditional animist beliefs. Muslims are generally
Sunni; there are relatively few
Shi'a, although they are increasing in number.
Christian groups include
Roman
Catholics,
Anglicans,
Baptists,
Jehovah's
Witnesses,
Seventh-day
Adventists, and other
Evangelical
groups active in the country and recognized by the Government.
There is a small
Baha'i
community. There are small numbers of
Hindus,
Buddhists, and
traditional Chinese religious groups among the
expatriate community.
Military
The Guinean armed forces are divided into four branches:
The army
By far the largest branch of the armed forces, with about 15,000
personnel, the army is mainly responsible for protecting the state
borders, the security of administered territories, and defending
Guinea's national interests.
Air force
Air force personnel total about 700. The force's equipment includes
several Russian-supplied fighter planes and transports.
Navy
The navy has about 900 personnel and operates several small
patrol craft and barges.
Gendarmerie
A branch of the Guinean Armed Forces responsible for internal
security. Its members are not
police
officers.
Healthcare
Guinea has been reorganizing its health system since the
Bamako Initiative of 1987 formally
promoted community-based methods of increasing accessibility of
drugs and health care services to the population, in part by
implementing user fees. The new strategy dramatically increased
accessibility through community-based healthcare (including
community ownership and local budgeting), resulting in more
efficient and equitable provision of services. A comprehensive
strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent
improvement in health indicators and improvement in health care
efficiency and cost.Guinea's public health code is defined by Law
No. L/97/021/AN of 19 June 1997 promulgating the Public Health
Code. The law provides for the protection and promotion of health
and for the rights and duties of the individual, the family, and
community throughout the territory of the Republic of Guinea.
HIV/AIDS in Guinea
The first cases of
HIV/
AIDS
were reported in 1986. Though levels of AIDS are significantly
lower than in a number of other
African
countries, as of 2005, Guinea was considered by the
World Health Organization to face
a generalized epidemic.
An estimated 170,000 adults and children were infected at the end
of 2004. The spread of the epidemic was attributed to factors such
as proximity to high-prevalence countries, a large refugee
population, internal displacement and subregional
instability.
Culture
Like other West African countries, Guinea has a rich musical
tradition. The group
Bembeya Jazz
became popular in the 1960s after Guinean independence.
Sports
Guinea's main sport is
association
football (soccer), and although the
national team has never made
the
FIFA World Cup, it has appeared
at eight
African Nations Cup
finals; it was runner-up in 1976 and reached the quarter-finals in
2004, 2006 and 2008.
Swimming is
popular near the capital, Conakry, and
hiking
is possible in the
Fouta Djallon
region. However, the official national sport is
Table Tennis.
See also
References
- See, for example, Univ. of Iowa map, Music Videos of Guinea Conakry - Clips Guineens,
The Anglican Diocese of Guinea - Conakry, Canal France International's English-language page
for Guinea Conakry
- Guinea drug agents are 'corrupt', BBC News (22 October 2008)
- For historical context, see "Guinea: has a nascent democracy lost its way?"
in the Harvard Law Record
- World Gazatteer
- "Joint Venture Opportunity Offshore the West Coast
of Africa", Hyperdynamics Corporation (2008)
- Guinea (08/09). U.S. Department of State.
- International Religious Freedom Report 2008:
Guinea. United States Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor (December 29, 2008). This article
incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
External links
- Government
- General information
- News media
- Guinéenews Latest news about Guinea - Updated breaking
news about the Republic of Guinea.
- Aminata.com
Online news source concerning Guinea
- Tourism
- Other